An African Thunderstorm by David Rubadiri

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An African Thunderstorm

From the west 
Clouds come hurrying with the wind 
Turning 
Sharply 
Here and there 
Like a plague of locusts 
Whirling 
Tossing up things on its tail 
Like a madman chasing nothing. 
Pregnant clouds
Ride stately on its back 
Gathering to perch on hills 
Like dark sinister wings; 
The Wind whistles by 
And trees bend to let it pass.

In the village 
Screams of delighted children 
Toss and turn 
In the din of the whirling wind. 
Women —
Babies clinging on their backs — 
Dart about 
In and out 
Madly 
The Wind whirls by
Whilst trees bend to let it pass. 
Clothes wave like tattered flags 
Flying off 
To expose dangling breasts 
As jaggered blinding flashes
Rumble, tremble, and crack 
Amidst the smell of fired smoke 
And the pelting march of the storm.

— David Rubadiri

Reference

Rubadiri, D. (1989). An African thunderstorm. In D. Rubadiri (Ed.), Growing up with poetry: An anthology for secondary schools (p. 38). Heinemann Educational Books.

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